#kevin be like ‘i will end in death or heartbreak’

[dayurno]

do you think when jean taught kevin french the first thing he did was teach him all the swear words?

i could definitely see him teach all the slang from marseille and it's hilarious to me

OH THIS IS FUNNY they were teenage boys after all and jean was famously very rebellious when he came to evermore right? oh seriously the idea of this essentially this fourteen year old teaching kevin how to curse in french because he wants to stick it to riko and the master. i don’t even think he would Tell kevin he is cursing at all (or would he? i wonder if kevin has ever gone through his teenage rebellion phase or if the programming was too brutal for that) he would just lie and kevin would believe it. horrible boys. but then again one is forced to remember (and live through) the fact that kevjean were more than friends… they were boys together….

[flanaganfilm]

The Midnight Club - Season Two

I'm very disappointed that Netflix has decided not to pursue a second season of THE MIDNIGHT CLUB.

My biggest disappointment is that we left so many story threads open, holding them back for the hypothetical second season, which is always a gamble.

So I'm writing this blog as our official second season, so you can know what might have been, learn the fates of your favorite characters, and know the answers to those dangling story threads from the first season.

So for those of you who want to know what we were planning to do, here's a look at what would have been season 2!

AMESH Season 2 would open with Amesh, his glioblastoma advancing quickly. He would tell the first story of the season, but would be struggling to make it through. We'd focus on his love story with Natsuki for those first few episodes as it becomes clear that Amesh's death is imminent.

Meanwhile, Ilonka is trying to reconcile how she was fooled by Julia Jayne, all while falling further in love with Kevin, and she realizes he may be fading faster than he lets on.

Ilonka begins a serialized story in an effort to encourage him to "stay alive a little longer," like he did in season one. And the story she tells is... REMEMBER ME.

This was the thing I was most excited about for this season.

REMEMBER ME is one of my all-time favorite Pike books - it tells the story of a teenage girl who is pushed off a balcony, and awakens as a ghost. She has to navigate being a spirit while trying to solve her own murder. We would have stretched this story out over 5 episodes. We were going to use it as a vehicle for Ilonka to try to come to terms with the fact that she is going to die, and to begin to trying to wrap her head around being a ghost... but this is the coolest part... the lead character of Ilonka's story wouldn't be played by Ilonka. She'd be played by...

Anya.

Because this is how we live on, isn't it? In the minds of those we leave behind. And Ilonka would use REMEMBER ME as a way to imagine her dear friend Anya, waking up as a ghost, navigating the afterlife. And this sets up one of the best mechanisms of the show - even if a character dies, as long as they're remembered by members of the club, they live on in their stories.

As the story starts to pick up steam, though, the group will have to deal with the death of Amesh, which he greets with grace and bravery.

In his final moments, he sees someone in his room - the Janitor from the first season, as played by Robert Longstreet, who says comforting things to Amesh even though he can't respond.

In his final, final moments, the SHADOW descends upon Amesh, and he is engulfed into it, which reinforces the idea that the Shadow is DEATH...

With Amesh's death comes something that upends the entire thing: a NEW PATIENT. We didn't work out too much about who this would be, but it would be a new roommate for Ilonka. Someone taking Anya's old bed. Ilonka would find herself being initially cold to her - just as Anya was when Ilonka arrived. Even feeling like this new girl shouldn't necessarily be ushered into the Club. But of course they would develop a beautiful friendship over the course of the season. The new girl joins the club, where something else exciting is happening - Cheri is telling a story. We hadn't decided which one, but I think it might have been MONSTER.

Natsuki would be the next to die, which would be heartbreaking. And again, she would talk to the janitor just before it happened... and again, the Shadow would come in the final moments.

For Spence, though, things would take a different turn.

The advancements in HIV treatment in the late 90's would come into play, and we'd see his prognosis change. The HIV cocktail came out in Dec 1995, and we really wanted to explore that.

Spence would ride the swell of antiviral advancements, and by the end of the season, he'd no longer be classified as terminal. In the finale of season 2, Spence would leave Brightcliffe just like Sandra did in Season 1, heading off to manage his disease and live the rest of his life.

But onto the BIG MYSTERIES of the season one... here are some answers: What is up with Dr. Stanton's tattoo and bald head? Well, a few things. First, Dr. Stanton is actually the daughter of the original Paragon cult leader, Aceso. Her nickname was Athena, she wrote the Paragon journal that Ilonka found in S1. She turned on her mother and helped the kids escape, but because she was part of the cult in her teenage years, she had the tattoo.

It was her initials that Ilonka found carved into the tree in season 1 (her maiden name was Georgina Ballard, hence the G.B. that Ilonka finds carved in the tree).

She hated what her mother became, and the atrocities of the cult. She reclaimed the property after her mom was gone, and wanted to change it into a place that celebrated life. She was trying to undo her mother's legacy and leave something behind that was beautiful. She is wearing a wig at the end of S1 not because of a sinister reason, but because she is undergoing chemo. Dr. Stanton has cancer. Having helped so many people deal with disease, she now has to deal with it herself.

Her treatment would be successful, and she'd go into remission, but having to face that - while caring for the terminal kids at Brightcliffe - was going to be a very introspective arc for Stanton.

What about the Living Shadow? It's Death, right? Well... no.

At the end of the season, Kevin will die... followed shortly by Ilonka. And as she is dying, two things will happen. First, she'll find herself talking to the Janitor, played by Robert Longstreet... and she'll make a discovery.

HE is Death. And nothing to be afraid of. It turns out no one else ever saw this character. Stanton has a cleaning service, and the Nurse practitioners make up the rooms - the only people who ever saw this mysterious Janitor were the patients. He is Death, and offers them kind words before they die. Then what was the Shadow?

This is an idea we take directly from the book REMEMBER ME, and we'll see it play out in the final moments of Ilona's final tale. In Pike's book, Shari is pursued by a dark entity called The Shadow. When it finally catches her, though, it turns out it is not a bad thing at all.

The Shadow is THEMSELVES. It's the Unknown. As it engulfs someone, in the last moment of their life, it takes them through a place of understanding and catharsis, preparing them for the next step.

THIS is what happened to Anya in S1 when the Shadow finally reached her - that's why she fantasized a life beyond Brightcliffe, which ultimately let her find acceptance of her death. It looks different for everybody, depending on their mind-set - because it is simply an extension of themselves.

The Shadow is just the final catharsis, a return to our original form - it is a moment of true understanding, and once we experience it, we move on to the next place.

We see the Shadow in full effect when it finally comes for Kevin. KEVIN DIES with Ilonka at his side, and it leads to the biggest reveal of the season:

Who were the Mirror Man and the Cataract Woman?

They were Stanley Oscar Freelan and his wife, who built Brightcliffe (fun trivia, he is named after the real-life Freelan Oscar Stanley, who built my favorite hotel in America - the Stanley Hotel. The Stanley is also the inspiration for THE SHINING!).

But more than that... there's a reason that Ilonka only sees Stanley in the mirror, and sees the Cataract Woman whenever she looked at Kevin. This is something else we took from Pike's original book... these aren't ghosts, but glimpses of PAST LIVES.

Ilonka WAS Stanley Oscar Freelan, and Kevin WAS his wife. They've lived many lives this way, and are true SOUL MATES - they always find each other, and they always fall in love. In this life, they knew it would be a short one, so they agreed to find each other in the house they built. They've been "remembering" who they are, and glimpsing their former selves in reflections, and sometimes when they look at each other. This is also why Ilonka's very first words to Kevin in S1 were "Do I know you?" and why Kevin thought she was familiar as well. They are two souls who always find each other, again and again.

The story is this: Stanley was dying, and built this cliffside home hoping that the seaside air would help him. It did, and he far outlived his prognosis (this is also true of the real-life Freelan Stanley). However, his wife began to succumb to dementia.

She would wander the halls, looking for him ("Darling!") and would even forget to feed herself ("I'm starving...") and she eventually refused to leave the basement. Heartbroken for her, Stanley painted the walls to resemble the woodland view, and the ceiling to resemble the night sky, so that it would be a little more beautiful for her.

He also painted a labyrinth on the floor, which was a technique used to try to curb the effects of dementia. She'd walk the pattern of the maze and it was believed it could help her cognition. Eventually, she developed frightening cataracts, but Stanley loved her through it all.

They were soul mates.

So while they seemed scary in season 1, that was just how Ilonka and Kevin's mind were trying to remember their pasts. We even had their faces distorting in ways consistent with how memories degrade over time. When the Shadow comes for Ilonka, and gives her this understanding - this "remembering" - she realizes she has nothing to fear. She and Kevin will shed these personas and be reborn, and have the joy of finding each other another way. The Shadow comes for her, Death takes her gently, and Ilonka goes off with Kevin back into the cosmos, ready for their next incarnation. The series would end with Cheri telling this story to a whole new table of patients, including our new series leads. Most of our original cast now would exist as stories, a story told to the next "class" of storytellers at the table, all of whom we will have met by the end of the season. A story called "The Midnight Club."

Well, that's it... that was what we had in mind. It's a shame we won't get to make it, but it would be a bigger shame if you guys simply had to live with the unanswered questions and the cliffhanger ending. I loved making this show, and I am so proud of the cast and crew. Particularly our cast, who attacked this story with incredible spirit and bravery each and every day.

But for now, we'll put the fire out, and leave the library dark and quiet. To those before, and to those after. To us now, and to those beyond.

Seen or unseen, here but not here.

I'll always be grateful that I got to be part of this Club.

[detectivebambam]

inspired by a recent post i saw about Kevin Day holding a baby, here's Bam Bam's professional ranking of Foxes and Co. by best to worst at dealing with children:

Andrew and I am always going to stand by this. He grew up in foster care so it's entirely possible he's raised a bunch of babies in his lifetime, but I think he'd by driven by breaking the abuse cycle. if he can keep a kid safe, even if it's only one, he's going to. Andrew social worker au when? anyway. Designated Babysitter.

Laila. No clue why tbh she kinda just gives those vibes

Katelyn because she's a sweetheart. whether they're her kids or someone else's, i just feel that she's really great with them

Seth was very good with kids. babysat his younger siblings a lot, didn't really want kids, but if you gave him a baby he might not give it back

Wymack is scared of babies. The younger a child is, the more fear he has. The first time he held a baby he was like... 50-60. (bonus points if it's Kevin's kid). but he's very good with them. very gentle and sweet

Matt. golden retriever yk. idk what else to say. he's also Big and babies tend to like that. lots of sleeping room

Aaron. he thinks he'd be terrible so he stays away from them. when he and Kate start talking about having kids, his biggest fear is turning out like his mother. they do end up having kids and he is the Best Dad to ever dad

Abby is really good with kids in that she knows what to do with them in the most basic sense. when they need to be fed, how to get them to stop crying, etc, but other than that she's pretty indifferent to them

Jeremy. he's kinda lost when it comes to kids. he'll hold them for a little bit but unless they're older than six he gets bored so easily

Bee. she'll hold a baby cuz they're cute, but toddlers exhaust her. she'd rather spend her time with older kids and young adults

Renee thinks kids are cute, but doesn't really want anything to do with them. if someone asked if she wanted to hold the baby, she'd politely decline. very funny for the Foxes watching her try to interact with a child and realize that Andrew is actually better than her at something

Dan. not great with kids because she gets very impatient and doesn't want any due to some lurking childhood trauma (sometimes i give Matt and Dan kids for funsies, but realistically i don't think they'd have any)

Kevin. 😐 he's. not great. he kinda shakes a lil when he holds them, and holds them so gently that you'd think they were made of glass. he will only hold a baby if he's sitting down. with older kids, he tries to hard to be logical with them which ends up not working. to be fair, he's probably never seen a baby face to face before.

Cat. life or death situation, she could take care of a child. does she want to? no. and unfortunately i think she's one of those "kids are gross and annoying" people 😔

Nicky loves kids! he's just Very Bad with babies. if a baby even senses that Nicky is near, it starts crying. heartbreaking. this gives him the opportunity to adopt an older kid, though.

Alison doesn't care until the kid is old enough to go shopping with her. and if they start crying she's taking them home.

Neil. with Andrew's help, he does okay, but when left to his own devices he bluescreens. no, Neil, a 2 year old can not sit on the table while you do dishes.

Jean would be fantastic with kids, but they all remind him of Elodie, so it's more of a mental struggle than an actual inability to care for a child. if Andreil ever adopt, he likes to babysit

[adamsrcnan]

OKAY OKAY here we goooo an annoyingly long-ish post about all my thoughts on The Sunshine Court

Spoilers Spoilers Spoilersss you've been warned

First things first it is so interesting to see Nora writing from not one but TWO new people's perspective. Jean's perspective is just devastating being inside his head is heartbreaking the constant fear and panic and how much of his energy is used on just pushing down every memory of what was done to him. His coping mechanisms are terrifying and i truly do hope by the end of book 2 he has a healthier way of dealing with it bc baby boy stop hurting yourself :( Every sentence was so painful to read. But also his resilience the entire time to get through it no matter what, god i fucking love him!!! He is a fighter.

Jeremy's perspective is sooooo refreshing. He is such a little sweetheart i could cry. The fact that he sends hand written letters and he's so caring and genuine but he can also be so stern. When he dropped that "i asked you a question" to Lucas fkehdjdfjdh OK SIR. I'M SAT. His relationship with the family butler is so endearing as well i need more background on that for sure! My only one criticism is that he didn't have enough pov chapters and i'm hoping we'll learn more in the second book of course because there's still so much about him and his (dysfunctional? toxic?) family dynamic that we don't know yet but also i'm greedy and i wanna know EVEYTHING about him !!!

Kevin and Jean are so just tragic it actually breaks my fucking heart like "you didn't have to slit my throat on the way out" JEAN??? and "promise me you won't try again. I can't lose you." KEVIN??? And the fact that Jean to this day is still keeping that promise. Also Jean's obvious but secret long term crush on Kevin the way it's subtly dropped every time Jean has to stamp down on his desire's and "temptations" GOD PLEASE I CAN'T STAND IT

SPEAKING OF!!! BISEXUAL JEAN ??? BI JEAN??? BI JEANNNN !!!!

Neil and Jean oh my God like where do i even start?? The guilt Jean feels at what happened to Neil in the Nest and him finally calling him by his name after Riko's death and telling him his game was good. And Neil seriously needs to give himself more credit for how much of a caring person he is because the way he indirectly told Jean that he thinks he is worth saving and didn't even hesitate before asking Stuart to send someone after That Guy after what Jean told him. Neil Josten the man that you are!!!

Jean's little sister Elodie what a beautiful name. Them being so close and him reading to her. The way he found out about her death jolted me differently. It was so awful and i'm so sorry Jean didn't get to see her grow up and meet her again.

Renee and Jean oh my god. Jean thinking she's beautiful (bitch me toooo) And the whole right person wrong time ugh i can't stand it. Him wearing her necklace all the time, enough that Jeremy always notices it. And unabashedly stealing her picture from the foxes lounge. Like he did not give a fuck. He said this one is mine. One good reason to stay alive being rainbows i'm gonna FKSJSKDHDH. Theirs would be such a soft love.

Speaking of soft loves Laila and Cat are EVERYTHINGGGG. God they are so cute with their little domestic life and their rich gay boy son who crashes on their couch with his cardboard cut out dog. That whole friendship dynamic is beautiful. Their fierce protectiveness and care over Jean as well and the patience they have with him even after the little kitchen incident. When Cat took Jean out for a drive on her motorcycle god that was such a heart warming moment and Jean helping them cook as well and becoming the girls' little sous chef it's so cute so endearing !!!

FINALLY FINALLY THE JEREJEAN DYNAMIC

PLEASE I'M GONNA SCREAM

Jeremy being the one who told Jean that Riko was dead i don't even know what to begin with THAT like hhhhhhh. The way they're both stupidly attracted to each other but won't/can't do anything about it. THE WHOLE "say yes Jeremy" SCENE WTF WAS THATTT I WAS GOING INSANEEEE. Both of them having to stop mid sentence when they catch the other looking FINE as hell. Jean being so obvious that even Lucas picks up on the way he looks at Jeremy. Jeremy being there to ground Jean in a Moment and helping him come down from it. Grabbing his face and telling him he's okay. Moving into the room with him to make him feel more comfortable !! The way Jean grabs Jeremy's chin (boiiiii). Jeremy constantly reminding Jean that he is NOT A RAVEN ANYMORE no matter how many times he has to say it. Jeremy saying he'll wait as long as it takes until Jean speaks to him. JEREMY GIVING HIM A HUG AND JEAN CLUTCHING DESPERATELY TO HIS SHIRT FUUCUFHDHSJHSSUHDH and then the "will you help me?" And the "Anything you need" AND THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE A CERAMICS CLASS TOGETHER?!?!?!!!! i can't i can't i can't i caaan'ttt

There's so much more to say but i'm gonna leave it at this for now because i need to go re-read it again and take my time with it this time round but i really could not have asked for anything better Nora truly outdid herself here !!! I'm forever grateful she blessed us with this after so long.

[simonsrosebud]

TSC FIRST REACTIONS (SPOILERS)

i have many more but my brain is mush rn

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jean watching the championship game was heart racing bc WE all know what happens at the end. his reaction to riko’s death is… the detached description of it is so fitting because he barely remembers it himself, he was so disassociated

the fact that his first knee jerk reaction to fear and panic is to claw at his neck until it bleeds is so interesting bc hello that takes strength and PAIN to dig that deep, i don’t understand it even after finishing the book but hoping i get more clarity on my second read.

jeremy and kevin’s relationship is very trusting, i think more than we thought. not the fangirl of each other that we joke about.

jean taking the picture of renee pls shoot me

jeremy’s rage and grief when he finally starts getting a bigger scope of everything jean lived through is a LOT. i wanna scream at jean to just LET HIM IN even knowing he won’t

the in depth explanations of the 16 hour days and all these other little evermore facts that we’re learning and have wanted to know for YEARS… yikes

jeremy calling kevin with no warning asking “did riko break ur hand?” SO BOLD

jeans notebooks crush my soul so hard it’s heartbreaking. and his trinkets😭

“Jean was exactly the kind of guy Jeremy was prone to trip himself up over” OH MY GOD?? there’s a difference between me wanting jerejean vs them actually being attracted to one another.

jeremy is a golden retriever confirmed. “This is Barkbark von Barkenstein. You can call him Barkbark or Mister B for short. It's a bit of a mouthful on its own.”

BLOND JEREMY YAS

jeans reaction to blond jeremy. fully took this man out of orbit.

although he hasn’t confirmed fully, jean being gay (assumption) was almost surprising bc from what i remember from the EC i almost thought he’d lean more pansexual since the ravens kinda slept with whoever (not that he seems like the type to use labels anyway)

“Kevin's words mocked him in the back of his thoughts: ‘Some of them you like.’ Jean cut off that line of thinking so fast he felt dizzy. It didn't matter that Jeremy Knox was annoyingly easy to look at; Jean knew better than to look at another man too long.” SCREAMING?? WAS JEAN THE ONE W THE CRUSH ON JEREMY THIS WHOLE TIME WHILE KEVIN WAS JUST FRIENDS??

and now my chest hurts bc “He was years away, watching a different beautiful boy lean in close to say, Will you teach me when he's not watching? It could be our secret.

Jeremy Cat and Laila seeing the notebooks broke me a little, the accidental invasion hurt

the ravens dropping like flies…

“he hadn’t missed the way Jean’s gaze tracked him when he readied for bed. Since Jean was quick to look away when he was caught, Jeremy had promised himself he wouldn’t ask. This was too good an opening to pass up, though, so he finally said, “More exclusively than you do, I think. Does that bother you?” AHHHHHHHH WOAHHHHHH i threw my phone (also can’t tell if jean looks at cat/laila the way jeremy assumed in that paragraph or if it’s just curiosity, cause it always seems like it’s just curiosity not attraction

Grayson. think we all saw smth like that coming from jeans time in the nest but holy shit

Neil showing up WOAH. i knew his FBI business wouldn’t be over in one day but i didn’t rlly expect that, although it makes sense

im still not over jeremy actually being gay its a dream come true that we all saw and hoped for but still

[liaisun]

uhm... you're writing something from riko's pov? would you perchance like to share more details? it's okay if you don't, just curious.

hello anon!! i forgot i enabled anon asks again but i will keep it on so people arent scared away from asking abt these things LOL. i would absolutely love to share the details :3c

the fic is 2nd person pov, flashes of riko’s life through the years and the way he perceives the world, the development/degeneration of riko and kevin's relationship, riko becoming who he is, and his descent into madness

it all began with my most trusted confidant sending a msg abt “all the ways riko could have been different and all the ways his pathways were cut”, riko being ONLY 19 like he wasn’t even 20 when he died… augh what the hell . so i immediately started thinking abt riko’s thoughts and state of mind at the time of his death

do we think he didn’t see his kingdom crumbling? that he was holding on the tightest to the only thing he had, until it destroyed him? icarus to the sun? AHGH. and yet riko is such a clear case of a made monster.

riko’s convictions are fragile. that's why he constantly needs external validation of his superiority over others by exercising control over them; moriyama family status being the excuse provided to him, and it's what he clings onto when he sees behavior that doesn't fit into his worldview (like when he is with kevin and sees kayleigh/a loving parent.) you're a moriyama, you're different, you're not lonely, you aren't affected by things like that because you're better.

tbh i think riko doesn’t even conceptualize himself as a person. he’s a vessel for success, he calls himself king (a title rather than a name), he’s defined by the number on his face and is part of a set with kevin (his relationship w kevin is whole other can of worms lmfao). riko is simultaneously above everyone else and yet worth nothing, because he will never have the thing he truly wants— his father’s regard, a place in the main line

many of tetsuji's statments are translated as riko's own thoughts and he repeats them as children do. his behavior becomes more controlling but it isn't maliciously intentioned; riko genuinely believes he is protecting kevin by doing this, because he knows how the nest works and kevin doesn't yet. it's heartbreaking!!! it's also at this unstable time when kevin is taken in by tetsuji where you can see the dynamic between riko and kev take root and become twisted.

also, riko's thoughts on family and brotherhood are so contradictory— he sososo severely values the idea of a brother. yet he's seen how tetsuji's been treated by kengo as well, understands that brotherhood is conditional. so it's this thing to want and to fear, which leads to how kevin is simultaneously idolized and adored, while being objectified and diminished at the same time. kevin is his brother, but only when it's convenient. over time, it's less and less of kevin as a separate person, and more of seeing kevin as an extension of riko.

this became a meta LOL but that's what happens when u write a character study i suppose! most of the fic is written i just need to clean it up, hoping to post by the end of the year :-)

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

every single book I read in 2022. all 129 of them.

jesus christ

let's start with the best of the best; everything else will get listed beneath the read more because I'm not an animal. even just picking out my favorites is honestly probably going to get pretty lengthy, even though I'm trying to keep the synopses short.

batmanisagatewaydrug's noteworthy books of 2022

Complaint! (Sara Ahmed, 2021) - necessary for anyone doing diversity work in higher education, tbh

America is Not the Heart (Elaine Castillo, 2018) - achingly gorgeous novel of heartbreak and healing.

The School for Good Mothers (Jessamine Chan, 2022) - honestly? I feel very good calling this my favorite book of the entire year. sensitive, smart, chilling.

Black Feminist Thought (Patricia Hill Collins, 1990) - truly ashamed to say I didn't read this sooner. Collins' clear-eyed analysis remains crazily spot-on 30+ years later.

Hurts So Good: The Science and Pleasure of Pain on Purpose (Leigh Cowart, 2021) - I read this book so early in 2022 and literally have not stopped thinking about it since.

Batman: King Tut's Tomb (Nunzio DeFillippis, Christina Weir, José Luis García-López, and Kevin Nowlan, 2009) - dare I say the most fun I had with a comic all year.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022) - a romance unlike any other. queer, fun, sexy, bold as hell, and joyfully life-affirming.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (Mariana Enríquez, trans. Megan McDowell, 2021) - DELICIOUSLY creepy short stories that will lurk in your brain forever.

Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century (Kim Fu, 2022) - if a more perfect short story collection exists I am yet to find it.

The World We Make (N.K. Jemisin, 2022) - I normally hesitate to include sequels on a list like this, but god DAMN Jemisin is the queen of modern spec fic for a reason.

We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice (Mariame Kaba, edited by Tamara K. Nopper, 2021) - excellent collection of Kaba's abolitionist writings, drawing on years of organizing experience and wisdom.

Jade City (Fonda Lee, 2017) - look out! new favorite doorstopper fantasy series alert!

Priestdaddy (Patricia Lockwood, 2017) - about the best damn memoir I've ever read. heartbreaking and hysterical in turns, poetry the whole way through.

Batman: The Long Halloween and Batman: Dark Victory (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 1996 and 1999) - it's always so exciting when something much-hyped lives up to the hype in every way. Batman at his grim and moody Batmaniest with a Gotham that’s deliciously bleak.

Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel, 2014) - I didn't think I'd like this book much at all, then ended up proposing on the second date. oops!

I'm Glad My Mom Died (Jennette McCurdy, 2022) - you will also be glad McCurdy's mom died, and also experience every other known human emotion along the way.

Kaikeyi (Vaishnavi Patel, 2022) - SPLENDID mythology retelling + political fantasy.

My Body (Emily Ratajkowski, 2022) - haunting haunting haunting personal essays about Ratajkowski's life as a model and subsequent alienation from her own body.

Batman: Bruce Wayne, Murderer? (Greg Rucka et al, 2002) - genuinely what can I say I'm a messy bitch and I love when the Bats are having a terrible time.

The Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #1-17 (created by Dan Slott, Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett, Terry Beatty, and Bruce Timm, 2003) - a continuation of the Batman: The Animated Series universe that frankly just fucking rules.

Little Rabbit (Alyssa Songsiridej, 2022) - a potent and erotic adult coming of age story.

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century (Amia Srinivasan, 2021) - thorny, difficult, vital essays.

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia (Sabrina Strings, 2019) - jaw-droppingly thorough research into the role of fatpobia played and plays in the project of race-making.

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Ocean Vuong, 2019) - yeah so it turns out no one was REMOTELY exaggerating. Vuong really is That Good.

Hench (Natalie Zina Walschots, 2020) - wild fun with a ruthless protagonist and her sex villainous beetle man boss; what more could you ask for?

Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles (Eric C. Wat, 2021) - learning about queer history makes me feel like I’m holding something so vibrant and fragile and precious right in my little queer hand. this book is an emotional journey in such a shining way.

Never Have I Ever (Isabel Yap, 2021) - EXCITING short story collection centered on girls having Just The Weirdest Time.

and everybody else:

fiction:

Light From Uncommon Stars (Ryka Aoki, 2021)

Our Wives Under the Sea (Julia Armfield, 2022)

A Tiny Upward Shove (Melissa Chadburn, 2022)

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Becky Chambers, 2022)

Disorientation (Elaine Hsieh Chou, 2022)

The Laws of the Skies (Grégoire Courtois, trans. Rhonda Mullins, 2019)

The Monster Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2018)

The Tyrant Baru Cormorant (Seth Dickinson, 2020)

Greenland (David Santos Donaldson, 2022)

Dead Collections (Isaac Fellman, 2022)

The Halloween Moon (Joseph Fink, 2021)

A Dowry of Blood (S.T. Gibson)

Nightmare Alley (William Lindsay Gresham, 1946)

The Vegetarian (Han Kang, trans. Deborah Smith, 2015)

The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka, trans. William Aaltonen, 1915)

Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi, trans. Geoffrey Trousselot, 2019)

Woman, Eating (Claire Kohda, 2022)

Long Division (Kiese Laymon, 2014)

Jade War (Fonda Lee, 2019)

No One is Talking About This (Patricia Lockwood, 2021)

Portrait of a Thief (Grace D. Li, 2022)

Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger, 2020)

A Snake Falls to Earth (Darcie Little Badger, 2021)

Glitterati (Oliver K. Longmead)

Gideon the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2019)

Harrow the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2020)

Nona the Ninth (Tamsyn Muir, 2022)

The Memory Police (Yoko Ogawa, trans. Stephen Snyder, 2019)

Even Though I Knew the End (C.L. Polk, 2022)

100 Boyfriends (Brontez Purnell, 2021)

Flowers for the Sea (Zin E. Rocklyn, 2021)

Any Way the Wind Blows (Rainbow Rowell, 2021)

Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice, 1976)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2012)

Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World (Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 2022)

Into the Riverlands (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Siren Queen (Nghi Vo, 2022)

Strange Beasts of China (Yan Ge, trans. Jeremy Tiang, 2020)

short story collections:

The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer (Janelle Monáe, Yohanco Delgado, Eva L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas, 2022)

Walking on Cowrie Shells (Nana Nkweti, 2021)

Terminal Boredom (Izumi Suzuki, trans. Polly Barton, Sam Bett, David Boyd, Daniel Joseph, Aiko Masubuchi, and Helen O’Horan, 2021)

nonfiction:

Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (Judith Butler, 1990)

How to Read Now (Elaine Castillo, 2022)

Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work (Melissa Gira Grant, 2014)

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat (Aubrey Gordon, 2020)

White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color (Ruby Hamad, 2020)

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness (Da'Shaun L. Harrison, 2021)

Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service (Tajja Isen, 2022)

One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter (Scaachi Koul, 2017)

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America (Revised Edition) (Kiese Laymon, 2020)

Sister Outsider (Audre Lorde, 1984)

Conversations with People Who Hate Me: 12 Lessons I Learned from Talking to Internet Strangers (Dylan Marron, 2022)

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (Amanda Montell, 2021)

World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments (Aimee Nezhukumatathil)

Histories of the Transgender Child (Jules Gill-Peterson, published as Julian Gill-Peterson, 2018)

Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance (Jessamyn Stanley, 2021)

A Queer History of Fashion: From the Closet to the Catwalk (edited by Valerie Steele, 2013)

Transgender History: The Roots of Today's Revolution (Revised Edition) (Susan Stryker, 2008)

The End of Policing (Alex S. Vitale, 2017)

The Trouble With Normal: Sex, Politics, and the Ethics of Queer Life (Michael Warner, 1999)

Read My Lips: Sexual Subversions and the End of Gender (Riki Wilchins, published as Riki Anne Wilchins, 1997)

poetry:

Short Talks (Anne Carson, 1992)

Content Warning: Everything (Akwaeke Emezi, 2022)

Prelude to Bruise (Saeed Jones, 2014)

Alive at the End of the World (Saeed Jones, 2022)

Bright Dead Things (Ada Limón, 2015)

Motherland Fatherland Homelandsexuals (Patricia Lockwood, 2014)

Nature Poem (Tommy Pico, 2017)

Night Sky with Exit Wounds (Ocean Vuong, 2016)

Time Is a Mother (Ocean Vuong, 2022)

comics:

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze (Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera, and Dave Stewart, 2022)

Spandex - Fast and Hard (Martin Eden, 2012)

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series: The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour (Tee Franklin, Max Sarin, and Marissa Louise, 2022)

Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert, 2009)

The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes (Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, and Malcom Jones III, 1988)

The Sandman: In the Doll's House (Neil Gaiman, Michael Zulli, Mike Dringenberg, Chris Bachalo, Malcolm Jones III, and Steve Parkhouse, 1989)

The Sandman: Dream Country (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcolm Jones III, Colleen Doran, and Charles Vess, 1991)

The Sandman: Season of Mists (Neil Gaiman, Kelley Jones, Malcom Jones III, Mike Dringenberg, Matt Wagner, P. Craig Russell, George Pratt, and Dick Giordano, 1992)

The Sandman: A Game of You (Neil Gaiman, Shawn McManus, Colleen Doran, Bryan Talbot, Stan Woch, and George Pratt, 1993)

Run, Riddler, Run (Gerard Jones and Mark Badger, 1992)

Catwoman: When in Rome (Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, 2005)

Batman: Year One (Frank Miller and David Mazzicchello, 1986)

Batman: One Bad Day - Penguin (John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, and Arif Prianto, 2022)

Batman: Bruce Wayne - Fugitive (Greg Rucka et al, 2002)

Batman: One Bad Day - Two-Face (Mariko Tamaki, Jaiver Fernandez, and Jordie Bellaire, 2022)

Batman & Robin Eternal Vol 1 & Vol 2 (James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder, 2015 and 2016)

Batman: Their Dark Designs (James Tynion IV, Guillem March, and Tomeu Morey, 2020)

The Joker War Saga (James Tynion IV and Jorge Jiménez, 2021)

Papergirls Vol. 1-6 (Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang, 2016-2019)

Real Hero Shit (Kendra Wells, 2022)

Poison Ivy #1-6 (G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara, 2022)

and some gaming guides!

Monster of the Week (Michael Sands, 2012) - great game. so cool. cannot wait to actually play it someday.

Thirsty Sword Lesbians (April Kit Walsh, 2021)

special shame zone because I want you to know how bad this sucked, do not read this:

Rethinking Sex: A Provocation (Christine Emba, 2022). patronizing, puritanical, reductive, painfully cisheteronormative. weirdly afraid of group sex. not actually that provocative, just aggressively Catholic.

and last but most certainly least, a comic that I want to remind you all fucking sucked just one more time before the year is done.

Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler (Tom King and Mitch Gerads, 2022)

Tom King, go fuck yourself. Mitch is cool though, the art slapped.

[thelegoninjagomovie]

9/11 facts

There are a few photographs of inside the twin towers during 9/11. The only video recording of inside the towers comes from the North Tower lobby. It can be seen in the documentary '9/11' by the Naudet Brothers. They were originally filming a documentary about New York firefighters. It also contains the recording of Flight 11 crashing into the North Tower. (source 1) (source 2) (source 3. video of the crash)

There were several phone calls made on 9/11, though few have had their audio released. One from victim Peter Hanson to his father described people vomiting. The most famous released call is from Kevin Cosgrove. Cosgrove was the vice president of the Aon corporation. (source 1) (source 2)

Christine Lee Hanson, daughter of Peter and Sue Kim Hanson, was the youngest victim of 9/11 at 2 years old. She and her parents were going to Disneyland. (source)

The oldest person to die on 9/11 was Robert Norton, aged 85. He was a retired marine. Norton and his wife were about flight 11. (source. under 'fatalities' catagory.)

In total, 8 children died on 9/11 on the planes. (source)

In many pictures of the North Tower impact hole, a waving woman (and sometimes a man) can be see. Many believe her to be Edna Cintron, who worked at Marsh McLennan. But a theory points out evidence that she was likely Jeannette Lafond-Menichino, who worked at Guy Carpenter on the 94th floor. Edna worked the 97th floor of the North Tower, from which there were no survivors. (source)

No jumper has ever been officially identified, but some, such as Falling Man, have been "identified" by their families. (source 1) (source 2) (note: "faller" is the new term that many in the 9/11 community have decided to use instead. For recognition and consistency's sake, i'll use the term "jumper" in this post.)

A big brother contestant lost her cousin in the 9/11 attacks. They filmed her reaction to learning the news that her cousin wasn't able to be located. Her name was Tamatha Freeman, and more can be learned about her here. (source)

National Geographic has a personal connection to 9/11. They lost two employees when American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the pentagon. They were accompanying three children and their teachers. (source 1) (source 2) (note: The mother of Bernard Curtis III (seen in white) did an interview for the 2021 Nat Geo 9/11 documentary. it's heartbreaking, but I highly recommend it. It can be found here.)

The final death on 9/11 in New York was a homicide. His name was Henryk Siwiak. A polish immigrant, he was not killed in the attacks, but shot on the street later that night. He had gone to the wrong place mistakenly, believing he was heading to his new job. (source)

The 9/11 victims compensation fund has had a very tumultuous history. Comedian Jon Stewart was a strong advocate, and often butted heads with Mitch McConnell over it. The fight came to an end in 2019, when President Trump signed an act into law that permanently reinstated the fund. (source)

Seth Macfarlane nearly died on 9/11. He was supposed to be on American Airlines flight 11. His seat was given to Carol Bouchard. This is a common fact, but I wanted to provide evidence. Page 40 of this flight log shows his cancellation.

EMT Ernest Armstead is known for his role on 9/11 as a first responder. He is the one who spoke with the 'Black Tag woman'. His story has never once changed, though some believe he may have hallucinated her due to the graphic and stressful situation. (source. This contains very graphic content.)

Patrica Massrai learned that she was pregnant the morning of 9/11. She and her husband Louis were on the phone when she suddenly said "oh my god.". The line cut immediately after. She most likely saw flight 11 approaching from the north tower. (source)

Firefighter Gary Box was killed on 9/11, and his body was never recovered. Years later, a photo was discovered of him running to the twin towers, as his truck was caught in traffic in the Battery tunnel. (source)

Moira Smith was the only female NYPD officer to die on 9/11. (source)

A Burger King on 106 Liberty Street was a temporary NYPD headquarters on 9/11. (source)

Asbestos was outlawed in New York halfway through the construction of the twin towers. The first 40 floors of the north tower contained asbestos. Between 300 to 400 tons of asbestos was released when the tower collapsed. (source)

The first person to die during the 9/11 attacks was a man named Danny Lewin. He was killed on flight 11. He spoke arabic, and overheard the terrorists. He was stabbed to death when he tried to stop them. (source)

The 9/11 attacks have an estimated 3,000 death toll. In comparison, the Iraq war, a direct result, saw a death toll estimate of 4.5 million. (source)

[deltastra]

My Thoughts on Tower of God Season 2 Episode 4

HELLO I AM BACK!!! THIS EPISODE WILL FINALLY END THE TRUSTWORTHY ROOM TEST! I'll admit so far I have not been appreciating the changes or cut content, in addition, the animation has been lacklustre. But I still look forward to ToG content every week!

WEBTOON SPOILERS WAS TEASED BUT NOT OUTRIGHT STATED

Rating: 6/10

Summary: They...they skipped some very important scenes. Overall the pacing was not good. At least this arc is over.

Oh man. Love vs Viole wasn't the best and I feel like a lot was cut that really made the fight stood out. But it's whatever.

Oh, they changed this scene too. Ehhh I can see why given the source material but this made Yihwa look very incompetent. Gives off the wrong impression to anime-onlies in my opinion.

Oh no...

I love how compared to Rachel's betrayal. Wangnan's one was heartbreaking for BOTH parties. Nia genuinely didn't want to do this but he just wanted to protect the woman who took him in. Just like Wangnan, Nia NEEDS to climb the Tower no matter what. And sadly, in the Tower, you never know who you have to step on in order to rise to the top, that's the cruel culture within it. I believe the anime did a good job in showing the genuine heartbreak and regret Nia has in betraying Wangnan, but also showing that he would do it again if it meant protecting the lady that helped him.

THIS IS WHY I LOVE WANGNAN. HE IS JUST GENUINELY A GOOD PERSON LIKE BAM. HE UNDERSTANDS NIA AND WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID. It's sad that Wangnan got betrayed but the fact that Nia did it to protect someone he cared about, there's no way Wangnan would be upset about it.

They nailed the tone of this scene. While they didn't show us his death on screen, I did appreciate the way they clearly conveyed what happened to him and Wangnan's anger.

I ALWAYS LOVED THIS QUOTE FROM HORYANG. AND I LOVED HOW VIOLE WAS SEEKED OUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY WANGNAN. Viole is their ultimate evil to them as he is FUG Slayer Candidate. Lurker is a POS and needs to be punished. A clear difference between the two. Wangnan knows he is not strong enough to do it and as usual, he needs others to help him, but that does not make him weak.

They should've added in Love's genuine disbelief over Viole copying moves. Because he did say it took him a long time to come up with and master his abilities, yet Viole copied them in one fight. It could've showed how much of a big deal this was.

Uhhh I think they glossed over how Wangnan got that remote, I swear it was way cooler in the WEBTOON.

I always loved this quote from Wangnan. As for the whole scene, it felt...rushed...the pacing felt off

If this was meant to show a POV of Horyang rushing....it was slow man... If anything, it felt awkward.

Damn that was good animation. I think they love animating Horyang. Fair enough. My boy deserves some love. ALSO KEVIN PENKIN GO OFF KING I LOVE THIS OST.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH THIS SCENE LOOKS SO GOOFY IN THE ANIME I LOVE IT.

And our first glimpse over Prince genuinely having what it takes to survive in the Tower and not relying on his privileges.

OH THAT ANIMATION FOR HIS RIGHT ARM LOOKS SO GOOD.

ANDDDD HORYANG GAINED A FANBOY LETS GOOOOO. Love the soundtrack here too!

I love this scene so much because it shows how complicated people are when it comes to climbing the Tower. The same people that betrayed you for their own goals, have something they want to protect. On the other hand, the "scumbags" in the Tower, like Lurker, were also victims once. I don't feel sympathy for Lurker, but I understand how he ended up like this. His mindset is also very interesting. Don't hate or resent anyone. Just climb.

It's annoying how people find this scene stupid. "WHY DID WANGNAN FORGIVE HIM?! HE IS SO DUMB"

Wangnan forgiving Lurker is a middle finger to Lurker's whole philosophy. He will change the Tower's culture, and he will do so with friends. If theres no need to resent or hate anyone, whats stopping you from from caring about people and forgiving them too? There's no way Wangnan is legit forgiving Lurker, it's moreso to show him, "I am different from you." Which Lurker would hate even more. Contrary to popular belief, needlessly getting revenge won't fill any hole in your heart. It's a shame that Viole is getting the "sigma MC will get revenge" treatment from the fandom right now...

(Also insert my usual "Kevin Penkin cooked" comment here thanks.)

HAHAHAHAHAAH MAN THESE TWO.

NOO THEY SHOULDVE ADDED THE SCENE WHERE HE TRIED TO GET FRIED CHICKEN BUT WANGNAN AND MISENG ASKED FOR SWEET AND SOUR PORK INSTEADDD.

And there it is! I always loved his ideology! BUT ALSO THEY DIDNT EVEN EXPLAIN HOW THE TEAM WON. HELLO THTS LIKE KEY INFORMATION???

WHY DID THEY NOT GIVE HIM HIS SCOUT UNIFORM HELLOOOOOOO

Alright...I'll be honest here. Did NOT like the changes in this test. I was okay with them removing the small scenes of sweet and sour which were mostly comedic. But some changes made no sense, like...why? Anyway, I hope after this, the pacing and animation gets better. Time will tell!

[aftgtookme]

my thoughts while reading The Sunshine Court

Only on page 2 and I have to put it down a moment. The idea of Jean going through that... Burn for eternity, riko.

"Every breath he managed and every inch he moved sent pain shuddering through him. There was deep and lingering damage in too many places. It sank through his chest and gut like acid, eating away whatever was left of him. It hurt like hell, but he'd worked through worse." WTF???!?!!!!!! I hope we see moriyama die in this book.

"Jean couldn't remember the last time he'd been allowed to wear color." Fuck. And THIS is where he grew up: Marseille. Have you seen the photos of this beautiful place? *Cries*

Jean: "Leave the bottle with me." Abbey: "You know I can't." Oh god. I need to lay down for a while now. This boy has been through so much and it is hurting my heart. I want him to get to a point where the only pain he feels is the stitch he gets from laughing too much, and the ache in his muscles from smiling.

I don't like how much Jean is self-harming to cope (like when he's remembering things, and he gives himself pain to centre himself - that's awful. It hurts. This boy needs a hug.

"the tiny bastard" lmao

"Kevin's pet monster"

"This isn't happening." It fucking is babe, and you WILL be happy.

Finally, someone who finds Wymack's alcoholism as worrying as I do 😭

" "I'd never taken him for a dreamer." Abby sent Wymack a soft look," like father like son 😭🥺

"It was safer to say he was ridiculously fragile than to attract unwanted attention from above by prying." I have no words. I have no words. He was found at the bottom of the stadium steps four times? Constant broken fingers and stitches? What the fuck? How did no single raven go, wait a minute, actually, maybe I shouldn't ignore this abuse any longer? Just... Just... when these Ravens leave the nest, maybe years down the line, when the shroud of Edgar Allen and that coach is fully gone, when they clear their heads after years of sixteen hour days, will they realise how cruel they became, how cruel their silence was? Did none of his teachers wonder? Why is this kid getting so many injuries from a sport??

page 43: I'm sorry, what? And 'riko had put them up to it'??? Does that mean what I think it means? I actually feel sick. Just thinking about it makes him dissociate. Riko should have had a more painful death. Those ravens deserve so much pain. All these people should be in prison. This is heartbreaking. This is infuriating. He deserves people who show him kindness, and gentleness, and safety, and happiness.

(end of chapter 2 and I'm crying. This boy deserves every happiness and joy in the world.)

[ncisfranchise-source]

NCIS season 21 is going out with a bang!

After hitting 1000 episodes in the franchise earlier this year, the cast members from the mothership show say the upcoming finale is not one to be missed as there could be some big shake-ups for longtime NCIS fans. Talking with ET's Kevin Frazier from the CBS Fall Schedule Celebration on Thursday, six of the show's main stars teased what they could -- which is very little -- about what to expect from the "intense" finale. 

"I'll say this, the finale is not to be missed. There is some intense stuff, and when I say intense, I mean intense, like it's stuff that we haven't hit in a long, long time as far as the life and death that is happening within this episode," said Brian Dietzen, who has played Dr. Jimmy Palmer since the show's debut in 2003. 

"Unbelievable that you revealed nothing and said so much," responded Alden Park actor Gary Cole. 

"I will say that there is -- there is a lot of soul-searching that goes on during this episode. It's one of my favorite episodes that I read all season, actually the entire time that I've been on NCIS," Law, 38, said. "There's some fundamental changes that are gonna happen to our characters."

According to an episode description, season 21's tenth and final episode will feature Law's character receiving a unique opportunity from NCIS Director Leon Vance, played by Rocky Carroll. The 60-year-old actor also spoke with ET on Thursday and shared that the episode is distinctly special for his character, who first appeared in season 5. 

"Without giving away the form, especially tonight, [my character] had to come to terms with some very personal and also some very professional decisions that could be very life-changing," said Carroll. "All those things could come to a head in the season finale."

The actor -- still remaining mostly tight-lipped about the future of his character and the finale -- opened up about one scene from episode seven, "A Thousand Yards," in which he filmed at a graveyard and worried about his character's safety, as well as his own job security. 

While it may not be Carroll's character at death's door this time around, Sean Murray -- who has dutifully played Agent Timothy McGee since season 1 -- said that since NCIS has been known to kill off a character or two in the past, everyone is on the line. 

"We got some agents in trouble," added Murray, 46. "We got no problem killing people."

The interview comes on the heels of NCIS: Hawai'i's cancellation after three seasons on air. Late last week, ET confirmed the show's end as sources told Deadline that the forthcoming finale was not written or intended to be the end of the show and will allude to potential season 4 stories. 

Among the most shocked by the cancellation was the show's cast members, including star Vanessa Lachey who shared her heartbreak in a series of Instagram Stories immediately following the news. 

"Gutted, confused, blindsided," the 43-year-old Love Is Blind co-host wrote at the time. 

Lachey -- who just recently appeared in the special 1000th episode alongside cast members from other NCIS shows -- later showed off how her 9-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, tried to cheer her up after the cancellation. 

"Trying to explain the news to my daughter ... and she makes me Mickey ears so I can 'smile' 😩," Lachey wrote. "This decision was bigger than a TV show."

[dayurno]

i know it makes sense but nora said on twt that Kevin’s French would also be in the marseille accent and that. just. jean hearing his own accent reflected back at him always so just. hearing the people he knew and grew up around and finding even more home in kevin. even if it hurts. augh critical hit

to be quite honest with you if my only friend in life learned my mother tongue for me and actually had the guts to pick up my very own accent i would also be pathetically in love with him. if he had the accent of the people i grew up with and the children i met in school i would lose my fucking mind. nothing and no one in the world would be able to make me move on from this man. he’d need a restraining order. i would kill myself in front of h—ah wait.

[redhatmeg]

So - the Bird Lady...

Of course, it's easy to see what the writers were going for with her - she was supposed to serve the same role as Old Man Marley. And her talk with Kevin in the theatre was supposed to have similar impact as the church scene.

Certainly kudos for them to tuckle a different problem - while Old Man Marley was enstranged with his family, Bird Lady was homeless. And in a way - just like Old Man Marley was alone because of petty fight mirroring Kevin's predicament at the time - Bird Lady being homeless could parallel Kevin's situation in that very moment (as in - he was just forced to run away from the hotel and didn't have other place to stay, so he was basically homeless).

However, Old Man Marley worked because his story had a connection to Kevin's story. It was an adult version of that scene when Kevin wishes he didn't see his family at all. Bird Lady's backstory doesn't have this connection with what happened with Kevin in Home Alone 2. She trusted someone and her heart was broken, and it's not very clear how she went from this heartbreak to being homeless (maybe it's for the best - most of the time homeless people aren't homeless of their own fault). Her story is about trust issues, but Kevin's own trust issues are barely addressed.

There is also the fact that Old Man Marley's problem was resolved at the end of the previous movie, while Bird Lady still stays homeless. Maybe we are to believe that Bird Lady's happy ending is connected with her finding a friend in Kevin, but he's going to leave New York soon and she will be left alone.

(Also a side note - I don't remember if in the sequels there were characters who served similar roles as Old Man Marley and Bird Lady. I know that one movie featured a mean neighbor, who later gets saved by the protagonist from freezing to death, but I don't know if she counts.)

[sleepy-achilles]

Protector x Sunshine x Grumpy Guard Dog

I'll make this a thing if it's the last thing I do.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't ask them how it started, they couldn't tell you.

It was supposed to be a one night stand after a taping of heartbreak hotel.

But Shawn got conflicted as he didn't want his relationship with Kevin and taker to be impacted by his dumb urges. He has a kid who's attached to them that he has to think about when making these decisions.

It infact makes their relationship stronger.

Taker and Kevin become more of a figure in John's life and shawn falls even harder for them both.

They work well. Kevin is the protector, he's able to protect both taker and shawn. Both are vulnerable and both struggle with that and yet he can help. He's also able to stand takers full strength whilst shawn can't.

Shawns the sunshine. He's able to ground both men and keep them calm. He's also able to rile them up if it benefits him. But he is a brat so it's expected from him.

Taker? Takers the grump guard dog who will hurt anyone who hurts his boys. You don't fuck with takers boys or his kids. Mess with him all you want, but not them.

Also, plus is, the family of destruction still works because the kids have always seen Kevin as a third dad, so yeah, Leon and cassie can still chill.

It's basically the same, John and Leon get teased for having three dads instead of two.

Taker is the firm dad, kevins the firm but fun dad and shawns the mama bear, he's the caring and most likely to freak out if something happens.

Anyways. Shawn is the cook, kevins the dish washer and taker puts them away. Takers the main driver, kevins the back up driver and shawns a passenger princess. Taker does DIY, shawn cannot and neither can Kevin.

Kevin and shawn love pda and takers a bit iffy about it.

Shawn loves nicknames and so does aba taker.

Kevin is quick to correct Shawn on any of his bullshit whilst taker will just store it away for a later, much kinkier, time.

Shawn is quick to scold Kevin and taker for ignoring medical advice despite them not allowing him too.

Taker is quick to put both of them in time out, because let's face it, Kevin and shawn are the class clowns. The shit stirrers, the troublemakers and well taker is the lockeroom leader so either way he has to put up with it.

Kevin leaves. And it does cause some problems at home. Cassies lucky she's not existing at this time.

Taker watches as it destroys Shawn. And when Shawn becomes a wreck the whole family falls apart. Taker understands both sides but for once, he has to be the protector. He has to ground Shawn and reassure Kevin its whats best. He has to promise John and Leon that Pops (idk if imma stick with pops or go with pater which is Latin for dad) isn't leaving them, that he will still come home to them, he's just moved companies for a reason that will benefit them more.

John and Leon understand a lot more than their parents think. But they help their father as much as they can with papa and how destroyed he's become.

Kevin, because we know his medical history, ends up becoming the stay at home dad eventually, so he does school runs and all that. He doesn't mind it, he enjoys it. A lot more than he thought he would.

Takers multiple deaths.

Interesting convo starter. Shawn is obviously always destroyed by them and Kevin? Kevin is aswell, but he always keeps a strong face on for his family because they need a rock.

It's important to note this isnt shawns relationship. Kevin and taker do love each other too.

Shawns back injury.

Not gonna lie, Kevin was angry at taker at first. Furious. But then when he came home he realised how bad Shawn had gotten with his drug problem. He knew it was probably for the best. And then he sees how badly taker is being on himself.

It becomes clear to him, its an accident. Its beating taker up. He sees how much Shawn forgives him. So Kevin apologies to taker and decides that they all need to heal.

That's the main, important points I can think of.

Yes I'm taking asks for them.

Yes I know I still have asks to answer but I got the world's hottest writers block so I'm trying new things rn.

[little-yugi-muto-rp]

Death Do Us Part

//final thread for @redemptionofthefallen

They knew it would come one day, and both of them dreaded it. But being reasonable and sensible, they had prepared for it. They'd been through a few losses already, and had drawn on those experiences to help prepare themselves and their son for the inevitable. But for all their planning and preparation, there was one thing they weren't ready for. One thing they'd never planned on. Never thought would happen.

They'd never thought that Yugi would be the first to go.

They'd been together a little over eighty years. Yugi had accomplished his (jokingly made) goal of living to be a hundred. He was now one hundred two years old. When asked how he'd done it, he always credited his family, his son, and especially the man seated by his bed now, holding his hand, lovingly brushing his silvery white hair back from his face, all with misty eyes locked on the face of his husband. Yugi gave him a tired little smile. Even after so many years, his smile still held just as much warmth as it had when they met.

His eyes moved to the man just behind Kevin. He had Kevin's red hair, though with tinges of black, and the blonde bangs of Yugi. He ended up growing to halfway between the heights of his fathers. Yamato Mutou was a very handsome man, with a kind face, soft eyes, and his shorter father's warm smile. He was a miracle of Kaiba's ventures into biotechnology. A combination of the couple's DNA, they had to let him develop over the course of nine months, just like any normal human, except he was in what had been dubbed a 'prosthetic womb'. His fathers were overjoyed to receive him, and he had grown just like any other child, with two parents who never stopped reminding him how much they loved him.

Now he found himself saying his final goodbyes to one of them. And it hurt.

"Sa Mekh..." he choked out when Yugi beckoned him closer. That was what he called Yugi, to differentiate between his two fathers. They had decided on it when Yamato was old enough to do so and had displayed his father's love for Star Trek. Now Yugi smiled fondly at the name as he held out a familiar golden box. Kevin knew it as the box that had once held the Millennium Puzzle, but now held Yugi's dueling decks. The one his grandfather gave him and the ones he and Atem had made for the ceremonial duel.

"I want you to have these, my son." He said. Yamato carefully accepted the box. He hadn't really gotten into the game, but he knew the decks were very special to his father, who even now was still known as the King of Games, and that made them important to him, too.

"I'm not telling you you have to play." Yugi said, "Two of these were gifts to me, from my father and grandfather. Two people who meant so much to me. I kept them because of that, even when I stopped dueling. A lot of memories were made with these and the people who built them. We've told you all the stories. All the times our decks were there for us, and never failed us because we believed in them. I want these to be your reminder that we are always there for you, and we will always believe in you. Me, your grandfather, and your great grandfather." Yamato smiled. He had always loved those stories, especially when he was introduced to the people who had lived through those events (and then learning his grandfather was in fact Pharaoh Atem himself, though Atem had to wear the outfit again to really sell it).

His great grandfather sadly wasn't in his life for very long. Solomon had gotten to see the birth and early years of his great grandson's life, all the early milestones, including the little one's first day of school. He had passed, sadly, in his sleep when Yamato was six. Yugi had spent several days grieving in the arms of Kevin or his father, sometimes both, and had written some absolutely heartbreaking songs while he did (which of course became big hits for the band). Only later would he learn how Solomon had saved Yugi's life by asking the elderly woman who lived next door to Yugi's parents to keep an eye on the boy and taking Yugi in after his parents nearly killed him and fled.

Atem had been a huge presence in Yamato's life, learning all he could about being a grandfather from Solomon. He'd also been to every one of Yugi and Kevin's concerts in some way (even if he wasn't there physically, he always videoconferenced in, and usually one of their road crew would set up a monitor in the audience so the two could see that he was there, being the supportive father Yugi never had. He would often let Yamato stay up late to watch with him if the boy so chose, and the kid had been to their shows live, too. They spread their tour dates out so they cod have more time at home with him, too. Even when his parents were out of town, if he had a school play or a game, he knew he could look out in the stands and see them on Atem's laptop. They weren't physically there, but they were there. They never missed anything.

Atem's death hit all of them hard (he'd been granted a second life, but not an eternal one). The gods themselves had actually come for this one. However, they were assured by Osiris and Ra that the Mutou family would be together in the afterlife.

"ALL of the Mutous." Osiris had said, looking directly at Kevin and Yamato.

Still, that guarantee didn't make this hurt any less.

"I know it's time. But......I have......one last song for both of you. I want you both to always remember it, especially when you feel alone or you miss me more than usual." Music had been such a huge part of all their lives, it was no surprise Yugi wanted his last words to be a song. He had Kevin help him embrace both of them.

"I love you both so much, and I always will. I'll wait for you in the afterlife, but don't rush to get there. Because I'll still be watching over you the whole time. Always remember," And then Yugi sang. One last time.

"… Just 'cause I'm leavin' It don't mean that I won't be right by your side When you need me And you can't see me in the middle of the night Just close your eyes and say a prayer It's okay, loves, I ain't scared I won't be here, but I'll always be right there Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere I ain't goin' nowhere"

He smiled at the end as he listened to their responses. Then Kevin came in and with a last kiss said what his words couldn't get out.

It's okay. You can go now. I'll always love you, too.

And as the kiss broke, Yugi closed his eyes with a content, peaceful smile on his face as he lay in the arms of his husband and son.

And he went.

[bi-lullaby]

I love talking about SPN with you! Tough challenge if you're up for it: rank all 15 seasons from your personal favorite to least favorite, no ties allowed :) Have fun!

Oh dear. What a predicament you’ve put me in!

1. 1 (solid choice, me thinks. The vibes are Unparalleled. Introduced me to the LOML, Dean. Their early dynamics? Figuring out who they are, who the other is, who their family is? ugh. My heart. Also super interesting MootW episodes, charismatic, the cinematography deserves it’s own spot in the list, we feel like the Winchesters: operating from a shadowed world that’s interwoven with ours but also separate)

2. 2 (still the same vibes of the first but also angrier? there’s findings and secrets and an overachieving trama of trauma and family and grief and deep wounds from the past and revenge and worry. love it)

3. 4 (It makes me angry, sad, happy, hopeful, devastated, all of that at once and then more. I feel it’s one of the most fundamental stories to the plot of everything that comes later and it sets what came before against a solid background of the whole angels/demons/apocalypse/vessels/fate narrative, sets up a lot of the lore, it’s just genuinely good and enjoyable. Great television.)

4. 5 (The world is ending and we have no hope to stop it and yet we will? ugh. Also the reconnection of the boys. Fighting so hard for a goal that seems impossible and finding their way back tot he other. I feel this is when Cas becomes more friend than ally, which is lovely. The longing, the grief, the guilt, the horror, the hopeless and yet that doesn’t take away their fight in the end. Also In the End and Dark Side of The Moon are just. Spectacular. This one gets me every time)

5. 3 (so much angst. so much uncertainty. The unknowns. I feel this one isn’t higher only bc I watched already knowing the outcome or most of it in a way, bc I knew Dean would be alive and well for years to come bc I started when spn was further along, but for fans who watched on time? must have been a punch to the stomach).

6. 8 (I hadn’t realized how much I loved season 8 until today lol, lots of annoyances and grievances but still I enjoy and analyze it to death. I love love love Purgatory, the dynamics of the Purgatory Trio, BENNY, Kevin as a bigger character, the animosity between Sam and Dean (srsly, I think all the fics I have written mention/deal with this issue bc I’m just fascinated by both their headspaces in this and how it impacts them going forward. The trials are interesting although I felt they were a bit mishandled, and of course the many fallouts from it.)

7. 9 (same initial comment as season 8 tbh. I feel like early seasons dean is hanging on by a thread to the very end of his rope (trauma, pain, grief, etc etc) but he is hanging in there, ya know? And he wants to fight and he knows his whys. then as the years go on and the losses pile on and the pains and the more and more he’s backed into impossible corners he loses the will to hang on and I think this season is the one where we see in look at that rope and go “and why the fuck am I holding on to this?” and it’s painful and heartbreaking but also makes you cheer him on and wish for him to fet through this. I like the Bunker being a more established home base for them. I enjoy Abbadon and Metraton as antagonists although I do feel they ended up… Underwhelming? Underexplored? And Dean’s is one of my ‘favorite’ deaths the boys had. It’s so impactful and poignant.

8. 12 (I almost put it lower but alas, so many Dean/Dean-Mary dynamics moments I could not. Not the biggest fan of the BMoL but I see where they were going. I think bringing Mary back was a move that could have gone horribly wrong and in a sense I feel like it maybe wasn’t the most thematically consistent? but it allowed for fun explorations of many characters. Also, Regarding Dean is off the charts good.)

9. 6 (ohh the drama. the fallout. the would’ves should’ves could’ves. I have a love-hate relationship with soulless!sam that tends more towards love but overall a great one. I miss Lisa, there, I said it. I loved them together. I wanted them to remain that way. I loved seeing Dean be turned into a vamp, also.)

10. 10 (not much to say. I adore MoC and all about it, but I do wish some things were better handled/had more impact/were more thought out/better shown etc. Overall, great idea, not my favorite execution).

11. 11 (again, love parts, don’t love others so much. I will say, in my “dean lets go of his rope” analogy, this one is where I think he’s slowly starting to climb out of the hole he’s fallen into and see “his whys” more clearly again).

12. 7 (idk why people seem to hate 7 so much? I can’t say it’s supper impacting but it has it’s positives. And Bobby’s death! It’s so impactful, it’s genuinely a mark of splitting eras in my mind.)

13. 14. (Michael!Dean my dearest of dears. You were not here for long enough. Makes me angry and a little bitter but also great moments).

14. 13 (if you put a gun to my head I can’t recall season 13 specifically? felt like a “bridge” season ig, and I just… Don’t enjoy Jack. I know many people do, and you do you, absolutely! But he just felt like a shoehorned in deus ex machina wrapped in Cas’s more cute mannerisms and I just never connected with him or really enjoyed him as part of the family or the themes that followed his appearance).

15. (will never accept, will never like, will never enjoy, the ending is responsible for 97% of the hate for the whole season but tbh the forced “ohh look we’re meeetaaaa! it’s the lasssst sssseassssonnn” in your face level of annoyance didn’t make it all that great either. No but srsly don’t even get me started on the ending. I could spend an hour just incoherently babbling and crying and still not get my dislike across correctly).

This was quite tough, really. Thanks for the brain teaser, dearie!